Harrogate High School launches Young Enterprise Company

Local students from Harrogate High School have recently launched their own company under the Young Enterprise Company Programme.

The company, which the students have named Evolve, will now manufacture and market chalkboard mugs from now until the end of the academic year, when the programme ends.

Evolve the Young Enterprise Company involves nine students, aged between 16 and 18. In the Company Programme, students set up and run their own company over the course of one academic year. They elect a board of directors from amongst their peers, raise share capital, and market and finance a product or service of their own choice. At the end of the year they liquidate the company and present a report and accounts. Formal recognition of the skills and abilities developed through the Company Programme is offered via the Young Enterprise Qualifications which all Company Programme participants are invited to sit.

Evolve were invited to attend a trade fair at the White Rose Centre in Leeds along with other young entrepreneurs from the Yorkshire region.

The team sold their chalkboard mugs to many shoppers that had braved the cold January weather.

As trading came to a close, and against tough competition, the team managed to pick up the ‘Best product’ award.

To quote their link teacher Mrs Karen Naylor:I am so proud of the students they have worked so hard to develop and produce their product. The team wanted to make sure their product would stand out and look professional. I hope this award will show Evolve they have achieved this.

Young Enterprise is a national education charity founded in 1963 to forge links between schools and industry. Its mission is to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise. Young Enterprise operates a number of programmes for young people on a learning-by-doing principle. These include running a real company in Company Programme, Team Programme and Graduate Programme; and learning about aspects of business from the first hand experiences of volunteers in Project Business and Entrepreneurship Masterclass.

In 2004/2005 over 290,000 students, aged between 4 and 19+ participated in Young Enterprise programmes across the UK. They were guided, encouraged and taught by more than 11,500 volunteer advisers from local and national business.